Read: Acts 16:16-31
“Having received such a charge, he (the jailer) put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.”—Acts 16:24-25
Midnight—that chronological midpoint between dusk and dawn, when night is darkest. Midnight also invokes images of utter desolation; that hour of despair and anguish—our companions during the most desperate moments in our lives.
Having been beaten and imprisoned on trumped-up charges, Paul and Silas find themselves locked in stocks, trapped in the innermost parts of a Philippian prison. At midnight, under those circumstances, some would cry out in hopelessness, demand justice or simply fold in defeat. Instead, Paul and Silas made a choice to approach midnight praying and singing hymns to God. Look what happens when we use midnight as an opportunity for worship and praise:
–V25: “…and the prisoners were listening to them.” Worship during seemly inopportune times cause others to take notice; not of ourselves, but God, the source of our strength, peace and worship.
–V26: “Suddenly there was a great earthquake…” God hears and responds to worship. There’s no guarantee He will free us from our conditions as He did Paul and Silas, but He will be present in the midst of our midnight situations.
–V26: “…and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.” Worship can set us free from our environment, and even cause others to be freed, just by being in the presence of true worship.
–V30: “…Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” Worship is transformational, not only to our lives, but it can bring about a transformation in the lives of others.
When midnight comes and life is hopelessly crashing in all around us, do we fall into fear and despair, or do we make a choice to pray and even praise God? Whatever we do, it makes a difference.
Imagine what will happen when we choose to worship at “midnight”…
“At midnight I will rise to give thanks to You, Because of Your righteous judgments.”—Psalm 119:62
